143*
by Ivy Leaves
Summary: Summer camp is not always all it's cracked up to be, but the upside is that sometimes it's more...


143…

**143…**

** **

The sound of the brass bell clanging loudly roused Tyler Connell from his comfortable, deep sleep. He groaned and rolled over. No. Not wake-up. Sundays were the only day he could sleep in, and he had every intention of sleeping in as long as he could. He buried himself in the blankets further._ Sleep, sleep, sleep, sleep…_

__"No way, Ty. We have to get the paperwork done for next session and there are, what, five new counselors coming today?" Kyle Faxman reminded the blond. Tyler groaned and buried his face in the pillow.

"Five more minutes, Kyle."

"Connell, I'm not your mother. You can get up whenever, but now would be recommended unless you want Coach to get mad at you."

Tyler immediately rolled out of bed. No one wanted Coach mad at them, not with that temper and power. He had been the director for over 10 years, and no one argued with him, because he was usually right.

Scratch that. Always right.

Kyle watched with amusement as Tyler pulled on a pair of jeans, threw a gray sweater and shoes on, and ran outside.

"Whoa, Connell, what's the rush? I mean, that was only the wake-up bell!"

"I forgot! I have to get the cabin list from Jenna before breakfast, and Black Creek is on the other side of the soccer field!" Tyler shouted over his shoulder as he ran down the path.

*

As he drew closer to the Black Creek cabin, Tyler slowed and looked around. Camp Inji, buried in the woods of Wisconsin, was a gorgeous place, from the woods with their shafts of golden sunlight sparkling through the trees to the lake and its calm tranquility. 

The kids were fantastic as well. True, some were a little odd, and they were certainly all different, but on the whole they were great. With age groups stretching from six to fifteen and the kids hailing from California to England to Florida to twenty minutes away up here in the Dairy State, there was variety, but within that variety? Every kid had at least one good friend—Tyler was sure of it.

It was his second year, and next year he was positive there'd be a third, and a fourth, and a fifth… It was too irresistible a place to stay away from for long.

Tyler grinned as he spotted a brunette exiting a wooden cabin.

"Hey, Jenna!" he called, jogging to catch up with her. Jenna Reed turned his way.

"Tyler, what's up?"

"I need the cabin list," he reminded her. Jenna nodded agreement and headed back into the cabin. In her short absence, Tyler looked around another time.

_Yeah, _he thought with a grin,_ this is so definitely the best._

_ _

*

"Connell!" yelled Morgan Smalks, pulling her dyed dark red hair into a ponytail and heading towards him. "I promised Guy I'd help him out in the kitchen and I forgot I had a counselor to show around. Can you please take care of her?"

"What's her name? I mean, what's she look like?"

"She's the only girl. I'm sure you'll recognize her. She's definitely pretty, I'll tell you that." Morgan winked. "Have fun."

"You're an idiot, you know that?" Tyler playfully shoved her. "What time does she come?"

"Eleven, I think."

"Okay. You owe me."

"Well, of course," agreed Morgan with a smile. "Unless you happen to fall in love with her."

"Dream on."

"I bet you ten bucks by the end of the session, you'll be head over heels for her."

"Morgan, your gambling obsession is taking control again."

"Deal?"

"Oh, definitely."

*

"Does anyone know anything about the new female counselor? Like her name?" inquired Tyler as they walked across the dew-touched grass of the soccer field. It was going to be cold today, if the dew hadn't already risen by—Tyler checked his watch—ten forty-two.

"V something, I think." 24-year-old Jack Kapper thought about it, trying to recall the name. "Nah, can't remember. V something. Or L. She's a total knockout, though. I remember that."

"I think she does modeling occasionally, but she's a med student or something," said Kyle. Tyler raised his eyebrows.

"A model and a med student?"

"That's what I heard," shrugged Kyle. "I mean, Dan has all the employee papers, if you want."

"I'll find out soon enough."

"I just hope it's after you brush your hair," joked Jack, touching a flyaway blond strand. Tyler looked at him with a touch of horror.

"How bad does it look? I forgot to brush it, scared of the wrath of Coach."

"Well, I guess it's kind of sexy, in that punk rock windblown I-could-care-less spiky way," said Kyle, but Tyler just rolled his eyes. Kyle Faxman was not one to talk about punk rock hair—_his _hair was dark brown, spiked, and dyed platinum blond at the tips.

"You're telling me?" asked Tyler. Kyle was about to make a reply comment, but stopped.

"I think that's her."

Tyler headed towards the silver car as it pulled up, intent on getting his hair to lie flat before he met the new counselor—bad first impressions were never good.

He stopped as she got out of the car and slammed the door. He stood there for a minute awkwardly, but when her head rose so he could see her face better, it was a punch directly to the stomach.

"Oh my God," he breathed. The expression in her eyes was exactly the same as his—disbelieving.

"Tyler?" she whispered.

"Yeah."

She threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

"Hey, Val," he whispered into her ear.

*

"Face it, the guy's just lucky," sighed Jack, watching the two embrace. "I mean, how often is it that we have models hugging us?"

"One hugged me once," reminiscenced Kyle, but a frown quickly stole onto his face. "But I think she was high."

"Well, Connell's going to have every female camper here wrapped around his little finger—though I'm sure not purposely. Remember last session?"

"Oh, God. That was just embarrassing," said Kyle. Tyler had started getting_ love letters _from some of the campers, who from then on only went to projects that Tyler was in charge of. It was a completely tangled mess, especially when they started sending him candy as well… which was like a counselor taking stuff from the campers… which was strictly forbidden.

"Maybe he can wear a paper bag over his head the whole time."

"You think that with_ her _here he'll agree to that?" snorted Kyle. "Yeah, right. I mean, come on, he's falling all over himself."

"They're just hugging."

"I told you, falling all over himself."

"I guess… I mean, when's the last time he hugged Morgan like that?"

"Don't go there," warned Kyle, bristling slightly. Jack grinned.

"See, you like Morgan. Told you so," grinned Jack. Kyle rolled his eyes. He and Morgan had been the "camp couple" for three sessions, though from the looks of it, the two people enthusiastically hugging were the next to suffer through the dignity of camp coupling.

*

"Over here's the lake. Kids aren't allowed to swim unless a lifeguard's there, and if you see someone swimming without a lifeguard, do not hesitate to chew them out," said Tyler. Val grinned.

"Sure."

It really, really, really sucked, having Val here. Not that he didn't like her. She was one of his best friends—or she had been. She was nice… and considerate… and caring… and gorgeous…

See,_ that _was what sucked. Every time Val just_ said _something, he could feel his knees splintering out from underneath him. He hadn't seen her in, what, three years? He was sure every bit of more-than-friends feeling he had for her was gone, especially considering her email seemed to suddenly go out of service and he lost her address, so it wasn't like he had talked to her or anything—but no, she had turned up at Camp Inji and now he was going to fall for Val again.

Tyler scowled and wished Morgan wasn't so good at betting.

*

The new session of kids arrived on Monday morning. Tyler was partnered up with Kyle again in the Eagles cabin, and Val with Morgan in Fortuna. The kids were great, the cabin arrangements worked, and since Val and Tyler didn't have to interact with each other for the first day as the kids simply settled in, there was no chance for the kids to see any soulful glances.

In fact, everything was perfect fine until the dinner of the day after arrival, at which they got their seating arrangements. There were specific people to sit with each day at dinner, meant so that the kids would meet more people from outside their cabins or favorite activities. The only problem was that two counselors had to be present at each table—

"Hey, Li." Val greeted a girl from her cabin cheerfully as she slid onto the bench. Lily, otherwise known as Li, grinned a reply and tucked her long brown hair behind her ear as she returned to her heated debate with Eric as to which bands were better.

"Hey, wait, what about…" began Li when they called it a draw. Val grinned and looked down the table at the rest of the people she was going to sit with for three weeks.

"Li, Eric, Michelle, Veronica," she listed, running down her side of the table. Switching her attention to the other side as someone else slid into the seat across from her, she continued, "Alison, Jonathan, Thomas, Julie… Tyler?"

She hadn't realized that the other counselor was Tyler.

"Hey, Val," he said, slightly more happily than she had said his name with—though that wasn't hard to beat.

"Hey." She faked a smile, inwardly sighing. If any of the girls in ever found out that she liked Tyler—and Li was way too observant for her own good—

"All right, so now we have to come up with a table name," said Tyler to the kids, giving Val a small smile.

"Yeah! How about The Best?" suggested Thomas. Everyone raised their eyebrows at him.

"It's a suggestion," agreed Val, and left it at that.

"Musical Debates," suggested Eric. Li nodded agreement.

"You two are the only one involved in musical debates," pointed out Alison. The others had to agree.

"Table With A View," suggested Julie with a smile, pointing to the window next to them. That brought smiles, but it was politely dismissed by Eric, who pointed out that it lacked punch slightly.

"Invincibility," said Veronica.

"Blue Light."

"What?"

"Well, it was a suggestion," said Michelle sheepishly.

"Abidjan," attempted Jonathan. They all looked at him. "It's the capital of the Ivory Coast," he explained. They shrugged.

"Anyone disagree?" No one raised their hands. "Abidjan it is, then," decided Tyler with a grin. Val smiled at him and he returned it. Li grinned.

"This is too good," Li said to herself under her breath.

"Is it true?" The girls in Fortuna demanded of Morgan as she walked in that night. Li's rumor had spread considerably. "Do Tyler and Val_ like_ each other?" Gossip was their middle name—they were, after all, mostly thirteen-year-olds.

"Do you want to know why I'll be ten dollars richer after this session?" questioned Morgan with a grin.

*

"Fortuna, wake up," called Val two days later, rousing the girls groggily from their sleep at the ungodly hour—in their views—of 8:30. "Unless you don't want to hear about the dance on Saturday."

_That _certainly got them up.

"Dance?" They clamored for more information. Val smiled.

"7:00 Saturday evening, goes until whenever it gets too dark to dance. Wear whatever you want, it's a free country. You don't need a date… unless you want one."

"Are you and Tyler going together?" prodded Alexandra. Val widened her eyes as the girls peeked over the edges of their bunks.

"No," she replied. "What made you think that?"

"Li," laughed someone. Val didn't catch who it was.

"Li?" she inquired.

"What?" asked Li innocently. "It wasn't like it wasn't obvious, from those long looks you give each other at dinner."

Val rolled her eyes. "Get to breakfast, guys."

"Yo, Connell?" called Eric from his bunk that morning.

"Yeah?"

"You asking Val to the dance?"

"Get out of bed and go to breakfast," said Tyler, not answering the question.

"But are you?"

"Get to breakfast," repeated Tyler. How was he supposed to answer that if he himself didn't know?

*

Cabin counsel, Val discovered, was a very dangerous thing.

"Does anyone have a topic for tonight?" inquired Morgan.

"Best kiss," crowed Li. "Of the counselors, I mean."

"What?" exclaimed Val. "Best kiss?"

"Yeah."

"Morgan, you want to go first?" asked Val as she subsided.

"Sure," said Morgan. She didn't seem quite as dubious, but then, Val had a reason for not wanting to tell them… "Two years ago, my ex-boyfriend Christian. We were at an amusement park, and he was going to Ohio to visit his grandparents for the summer." Someone shone a flashlight briefly on Morgan's face, which revealed a rising blush.

"Val's turn," squealed Beth. "Best kiss?"

"High school," said Val. "Eleventh grade. I was an EMT, and it was after we had to save this five-year-old from a flooded basement."

"Who?"

"No comment."

"Why? It's not like we know them or anything…"

"No comment."

"Val, please?"

Val rolled over, buried her face in her pillow so that her voice was muffled, and said, "Tyler."

*

The dance was a topic that had flared under attention like flame under gasoline. Suddenly all the talk was who was going with who, what people were going to wear, what kind of music the DJ's (Kyle, Morgan, and Rita) were going to play. Quite a few people had decided to donate their CD's, so there was going to be no shortage of music.

The counselors tried to avoid the topic of who was going with whom, because several people had decided on counselor-couples they wanted to get together—Kyle/Morgan, Christian/Anne, Kelly/Richter—though Val and Tyler remained the favorites, especially among Fortuna (Val), Eagles (Tyler), Sollway (Thomas and Jonathan from Val and Tyler's table), and Alpha Omega (a cabin who wanted them together for no bias whatsoever). Unfortunately, these happened to be the cabins with the most people, and rumors of the supposed relationship spread like wildfire.

*

Tyler arrived at the dance ten minutes late because he had to get the project assignments for the next day from Coach. He was expecting Val to be there by then, though he wouldn't have admitted that he was searching the crowd for her when he arrived.

"Your love interest hasn't arrived yet, if that's what you wanted," said Jack, sidling up to his friend. Tyler looked at him uncomprehendingly.

"What love interest?" he asked.

"Oh, come on. You know you like her."

"Like_ who?" _He knew who Jack was talking about… but it was so much easier to pretend he didn't, wasn't it? So much easier…

"Do I have to spell everything out for you? Although it's not that hard to spell. Only three letters. V-A-L."

"What about her?"

"Are you_ sure _you got into Yale?"

*

Val was even later than Tyler—twenty-three minutes. She had had to take care of a girl who had twisted her ankle in her platforms… it had been a nasty sprain, and Katrina had been upset that she couldn't dance.

_I suppose, _she thought with a grin as she looked around and realized how late she was,_ that it's a fashionably late entrance._

__"Val, what took you so long?" asked Lily, coming over with Eric. "I mean, the dance has been going for what, twenty minutes?"

"A girl twisted her ankle," explained Val.

"Well, you look great," said Li, looking at the gray halter dress that fit Val's form perfectly. "Tyler's over there," she motioned, watching Val's blue eyes quickly search the crowd.

"I wasn't looking for Tyler," disagreed Val. Li snickered, and the comment brought a smile to Eric's face as well.

"Right," said Li doubtfully. "Anyway, he's over there. See you later."

_God, that girl can sound so much older than thirteen, _reflected Val. She brushed away her thoughts and turned in the direction of Tyler.

*

Tyler saw the grin start on Jack's face as the young man looked at something behind Tyler. He spun around quickly in curiosity, and immediately started staring at something that was just way too good to be true.

Her look was purely wondering, completely curious, and he had no idea why, but he wasn't going to ask—that might make her go away. Facing dreams with reality was never a good idea, and he wasn't going to test the consequences now.

"Val." His throat was dry, and the word was choked out. He wondered if he was always like this around her—he hoped not, because once was enough to reveal his feelings, wasn't it?

"Tyler."_ Stop it, stop it, stop it, _she mentally pleaded._ Please stop looking into my eyes like you can see my deepest thoughts—'cause I really don't want you to see my deepest thoughts._

__"Do you—I don't know…" He trailed off for a moment, then seemed to get up his nerve again. "You want to dance?"

Her eyebrows raised just slightly, just a fraction of an inch, before she smiled and replied, "Yeah, that'd be great."

Jack watched with amusement as they moved off, looking at each other nervously, as if they were scared teenagers. Then he sauntered over to Rita as she searched for a good song to play…

"Rita, I think we may need a break from the fast music…"

Tyler was a good dancer, discovered Val. He spun her with a grin and she replied. This was definitely fun. Of course, the fun part might stem from the fact Tyler was holding her hand, but no need to start acting like a lovesick idiot.

_Except, _came her rueful thought,_ I've been acting like a lovesick idiot for a while._

__The song ended and Val waited for the next song to begin. Her stomach plummeted several stories as the chords came, slow and steady…

There was the crackle of uneasiness in the air between them. Would it be crossing the barrier to slow dance? There was so much that threatened this trembling relationship…

"Are you tired?" Tyler asked, his eyes betraying that he really did not want her to be.

"No," she whispered. Tyler smiled and gently, hesitantly wound his arms around her waist. "They're all going to say this means we like each other," Val said with a smile, breaking the silence.

"The kids here love to gossip—and the counselors aren't much better," replied Tyler. That drew a laugh from Val as she agreed.

"You—you want to give them something more to talk about?" she inquired, almost shyly. Tyler looked at her in puzzlement.

"What do you mean?"

She laid her head on his shoulder and moved closer. So close… so close… Tyler was, somehow, not surprised to find that she conformed perfectly to his body. It almost scared him how good it felt…

He tried to ignore that and listen to the music.

** **

**Hurt is… more than pain… only way to torture me… is to kiss me again**

She didn't need it.

She didn't need the electricity running in jolts up her spine, didn't need the perfection of being there in his arms, didn't need him.

_But God, I want it, _she realized._ I've wanted it since high school. That was, what, eight years ago? When did I start liking him anyway?_

The question wasn't something she could answer, and the lyrics to the music were trying to bang their way into her thoughts.

** **

**Your mouth… your need… your wretched smile… I've been waiting a long, long while**

** **

"They make a nice couple, don't they?" Kyle asked Morgan.

"Yeah, actually."

"Matchmaking session 101?"

"Oh, of course."

Kyle leaned over to Rita, who hadn't overheard the conversation, busy as she was loading CD's.

"Rita, you want to assist in the matchmaking scheme?" he inquired. Rita looked up and saw Val and Tyler. A smile started on her lips.

"I say we start as soon as possible."

** **

**Forget it… you never remembered anyway… tomorrow… right now… yesterday**

** **

It wasn't inappropriate—as counselors, it wasn't permissible to be inappropriate anyway, so that didn't matter. Most probably would have called it sweet, but they knew what things could be labeled as…

"I love this song," Val murmured to Tyler.

"Yeah… it's my favorite…"

With those words, his lips brushed her neck. She started in slight surprise at the electricity produced, then settled back.

"Sorry," he apologized.

"No."

** **

**But I'm more… I wish you knew… I'm so transparent… easy to see right through**

** **

Honestly, he hadn't meant to. His lips didn't mean to rest on her back. But it was the second time it had happened, and she didn't start, or shiver, and so he decided it was okay, but…

But… it felt so good. Her tanned skin was smooth, and he could smell her hair very well, and he was losing himself in her. It was wrong.

Wrong.

The word was hurting him, and he drew back a little bit. Wrong. Wrong. So wrong it was right. No! So wrong it wasn't right! But he was dying to let it be the former—the latter was too painful.

"I'm sorry." The second time, again.

"For…?"

"Everything."

** **

**I'm so sorry… I want you to understand… deep inside, behind the reach of my hand**

****

"Okay, so, now what is he doing?" Jack asked impatiently. He had joined the matchmaking trio, who were rotating turns manning the music and watching Val and Tyler.

"Being stupid. Anything else new?" Kyle inquired.

"Being_ really _stupid, more like it," corrected Jack. "You know, I wasn't sure he could do something more idiotic."

"Yeah, well, he can, and he's doing it now," said Rita, watching Tyler break away from Val.

** **

**I promise… I didn't mean to… it's all a mistake… I honestly love you**

** **

"Tyler, don't—" Her voice was lost in the crowd as he moved off. Val moaned and followed him out of the dance. "Tyler!"

She ran toward him and spun him around.

"Okay, look, you are so not running out of here before you tell me what's wrong, okay? I don't know what happened, I don't know what's wrong, I don't know what I did—"

"Nothing. You did absolutely nothing."

"Then why on earth are you running away?"

"I'm not!"

"You are too."

"No, I'm not. It's just that I don't think that you understand… I mean—"

"Ty, Val, come here!" called Anne, another counselor.

"Coming!" Val yelled back. She looked at Tyler. "I—"

"The dance," he said softly.

** **

**I'd like to blame it on you… you did it all… but I have no desire… to make you fall**

**Right back where I started, beginning again… what I have conquered, where I have been**

** **

*

He sat down on the bench and looked at the moonlight dancing on the lake. The leaves of the tree hanging low overhead rustled in the wind, and he inhaled the fresh air.

Why on earth had he run away from her?

There had been no reason to do so. Everything had been perfect. She had been perfect. So why had he run away?

He was scared. Scared that he was making an idiot of himself.

_Which I am, _he realized._ I'm making a huge idiot of myself because no way does she like me. That was high school. We're in med school now. There's no such thing as a relationship anymore._

Sadly. Tyler leaned back and sighed.

**I'm scared and I think you ought to know… there's a place where only I go…**

** **

"Hey, is this seat taken?"

Val's voice made him jump. He looked up at her in surprise.

"I didn't hear you coming."

"I know." She hovered for a minute.

"Oh, sit down," he said, realizing he hadn't answered her initial question. Val flashed him a smile, visible in the light of the full moon, and sat down next to him.

"I've heard no end of the jokes about us dancing," she informed him. "These camp people are horrible gossips." He grinned agreement.

"Of course. It's in our blood."

"The girls even made me tell them about my best kiss. It might have been funny—but they were picking on me."

"Best kiss, huh? What'd you tell them?"

The moonlight wasn't bright enough to determine it precisely, but Tyler could have sworn she was turning red. "Us."

He hadn't exactly been expecting that. "Us?"

"Yeah, that kiss."

"Oh. Your best kiss?"

"Look, I was just giving them some more gossip. I didn't want to deny them their needs. It wouldn't be nice."

"Yeah, well, the kiss wasn't so bad for me, either."

"It wasn't?" Val seemed surprised. "You…liked it?"

"I might have answered the same way," he replied.

"Oh."

The silence was practically unbearable.

"Val… I'm sorry I ran away. It was just that—"

"KISS!"

Val and Tyler, startled by the sudden uproarious shout, jumped up in surprise and turned around to face the two cabins united in front of them. Recognizing the inhabitants, they both moaned.

"And where would your other counselor be, Fortuna?" Val inquired dryly, shielding her eyes from all the flashlights pointing at her.

"Right here," announced Morgan, stepping forward.

"Eagles?" Tyler waited expectantly.

"Hey, Connell. How's it going?" Kyle asked. Tyler and Val exchanged looks.

"GET BACK TO YOUR CABINS!" they yelled in unison. This only made the inhabitants of the neighboring cabin Alpine come out in curiosity.

"We'll go back," stated Li, moving forward, "if you kiss."

"Not up for negotiation. Get back to your cabins!"

"If you kiss, we'll go," said Corsina, a girl from Fortuna. "It's not that difficult. Just kiss."

"Yeah, kiss!" shouted an Eagle near the back. The cabins united in a cheer.

"KISS—KISS—KISS—KISS—KISS—"

"If we kiss, just once, you'll go back to your cabins and behave yourselves for the rest of the session?"

"Rest of the week. Rest of the session if it's a good kiss," argued Beth.

"A good kiss?" Val asked doubtfully.

"At least a halfway decent kiss," Li conceded. Val turned to Tyler, unsure.

_God, Lanier, you better take advantage of the moment, because you** know **you'll never get to do this again._ "The greater good?" she whispered.

"The greater good," he agreed, leaning forward.

_Well, this better be classified as a halfway decent kiss, _decided Val, though she wasn't arguing as their lips touched and instantly deepened the kiss.

It felt so good…so right… she needed it. Oh, yes, she definitely needed it. And yet…_ end it, end it, end it, _prompted the voice in her head, forcing her to tear her mouth away from Tyler's and meet his eyes.

"I…"

"Cabins," Tyler told the kids, his eyes not leaving hers. They shuffled off with mingled moans and exclamations:

"I didn't think they actually would," whispered someone. Val smiled as she heard that.

She hadn't thought they would, either.

**I promise… I didn't mean to… it's all a mistake… I honestly love you**

**I promise you now… it's so hard to fix… learning the rules, teaching new tricks**

The kids had filed off, and they were alone with the moonlight.

"Tyler, we really shouldn't…"

"Val, just for a minute, forget about what you should or shouldn't do, okay? Just forget it. And then… do what you want. Not what I want. Not what anyone else wants. What you want."

"Yeah?"

"And what would you do, then?"

"Something… along the lines of…"

And then she pulled him into a dizzying kiss, folding her body against his. He was kissing her back just as forcefully and…

_He's not arguing, _Val reflected._ He's not protesting. _She pulled away gently.

"Tyler, you don't—" He anticipated the question.

"One… four… three…" he told her softly. She looked at him, confusion written on her face. He smiled.

"We should go now, shouldn't we?" he asked. Val nodded.

"Yeah…"

"One, four, three," he said again. "See you tomorrow."

"Yeah, tomorrow," she agreed vaguely as he disappeared into the woods, walking down a trail of shadows to Eagles. Fortuna was the opposite way.

** **

**You think I can handle it… I doubt it somehow… right here, I need you right now**

** **

"Li, what does one four three mean?" Val asked as she walked into the cabin. She knew everyone would still be up. There was a collective gasp at her words.

"He said one four three to you?"

"Oh my God. I didn't even expect that."

"Lucky."

"That is so…"

"But what does one four three_ mean?" _asked an exasperated Val. There was a silence before Li spoke.

"One four three means I love you."

*

"Hey, Tyler."

"Hey."

Val looked demurely at her breakfast and engaged in a conversation with Michelle, who was sitting to her left, avoiding exchanging words with Tyler. Halfway through breakfast, Li groaned and threw down her napkin.

"Okay, you two stop it or I resort to drastic measures."

"Stop what?" Val asked innocently. Tyler echoed her. Li shook her head and stood up on the bench.

"Li, get down, you're not supposed to—"

"Attention everyone!" shouted Li. Faces turned towards her. "Val accepts Tyler's offer to be his girlfriend. Said couple is now official." Li climbed off the bench to thunderous applause.

"Li!"

"There you go. All done." Li clapped her hands with satisfaction.

"_Li…" _

"Oh, come on. Don't pretend you don't want to be a couple!"

** **

**I promise… I didn't mean to… it's all a mistake… I honestly love you**

** **

"So, I guess after that display, we're a couple?" Val and Tyler had miraculously found time by themselves. Their campers were probably spying on them at that moment, actually.

"Do you not want to be?"

"No, I want to be…"

Tyler turned to face her. "Does that mean I'm allowed to kiss you or not?"

"Did you mean it when you said you loved me?"

"I wouldn't have said it if I didn't mean it, Val, I promise."

"Okay."

"Then I can kiss you?"

"Yeah. Definitely."

Li was watching from the woods as their lips connected, and she smiled.

"Case closed," she announced. "All credit goes to Inji camp coupling."

** **

**I honestly love you…**

Hey, how'd you like? I got the idea from these two counselors at camp… never mind. It was a good idea at the time. Yes, I hate the title too, but I had nothing better, unfortunately. Erm, yeah. Okay, so, review, you're free to tell me it sucks, but PLEASE DO SO NICELY. NICELY. CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, okay? Please? Thanks!

---IVY


End file.
